Baseboard



J. PANGERL Nov. 22, 1966 BASEBOARD Filed Dec. 5, 1965 Fig.7

INVENTOR. JOSEF PANGERL ATTORNEYS United States Patent York Filed Dec. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 328,244 Claims priority, application Germany, Jan. 23, 1963,

11 Claims. (c1. 52-287) The invention relates to novel extruded baseboards for mounting in the junction zone between wall and floor which have means for equalizing horizontal and vertical diiferences.

Baseboards from extruded plastic or metal have recently become popular because they are relatively inexpensive, durable and require practically no maintainence such as painting or lacquering. Moreover, the said baseboards result in a saving of wood which in many areas of the world has to be imported.

However, baseboards of this type have suffered from various disadvantages. The said baseboards must be secured in place by means of wall-mounted fastening elements which are difficult to exactly position evenly. For example, the said wall-mounted elements may be positioned a little too high or too low or may be positioned too far into the wall or not far enough into the wall. When the baseboard and the fastening elements are not perfectly and exactly aligned, the baseboard will not fit properly because the mounting supports of the baseboard being extruded are exactly the same and there is no allowable tolerance to compensate for errors. To properly install these baseboards, the installers found it necessary to frequently adjust the fastening elements individually which is time consuming and expensive.

Another problem that arose with the known baseboards of this type was the appearance of cracks between the floor and the lower edge of the baseboard. Modern tile floors such as asphalt title or vinyl tile are known to settle a fraction of an inch and wood floors are known to sag at times due to settling of the building. Due to the rigid nature of known baseboards when mounted on the wall, the baseboard could not adjust to compensate for the settling of the floor and unsightly cracks appeared between the floor and the baseboard.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel extruded baseboard capable of compensating in a horizontal direction for variations in the wall-mounting fastening elements.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel extruded baseboard capable of compensating for changes in floor levels.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become obvious from the following detailed description.

The novel extruded baseboard of the invention for mounting in the junction zone of a wall and a floor is comprised of an exterior profile having a wall rest and a resilient floor rest to compensate for changes in floor level, a resilient notched system comprising a notched means attached to the baseboard adapted to engage a counter notched means attached to the wall wherein at least one of the said notched means is resilient and at least one of the notched means has a plurality of notches and a resilent member between the notched system and the floor rest which exerts a horizontal pressure against the wall whereby the wall rest is firmly held against the wall.

The extruded baseboard may be made of plastic or metal such as aluminum but plastic is preferred because of its lower cost. The exterior profile may be smooth or may have a decorative design on it and since the exterior profile can be shaped to form smooth inner and outer corners, no additional edging is required.

Modern vinyl or asphalt tile floors are known to settle a fraction of an inch after installation and as a result of this settling prior baseboards will no longer lie flush with the floor. The space between the baseboard and this type of floor is unattractive and fills with dust and dirt. The resilient floor rest of the present invention overcomes this defect of the known baseboards since as the floor level settles, the resilient floor rest will follow the floor and prevent the formation of the unsightly space between the baseboard and the floor.

The rounded or curved floor rest is made resilient by a corresponding zonewise reduction of the thickness or cross-section of the floor rest or by providing one or more longitudinal grooves in the floor rest whereby the floor rest can be easily and smoothly bent without effecting the profile of the rest of the baseboard. The baseboard is installed low so that the resilient floor rest is provided with a natural stress and when the floor level drops, the floor rest will follow it.

The resilient notched system of the baseboard is comprised of a notched means on the baseboard adapted to engage a counter notched means attached to the wall wherein one or both of said means is resilient and at least one of the said means, preferably both have a plurality of notches. At least one of the notched means must be resilient so that the said means can be easily engaged during installation by applying ordinary pressure to the baseboard. A plurality of notches on one of the said means is necessary to ensure engagement of the said notching means and to compensate for variations in differences between the baseboard and the notched counterpart means attached to the wall. This resilient notched system makes the installation of the baseboard simple.

The multiple notched system can be of any type such as a plurality of pairs of notches adapted to engage a notched head, a multiple notched bar or pairs of tongues adapted to engage claw-like counterparts or notched individual elements which engage each other. The notching system enables the baseboard to be easily installed since the said system allows for variations in the wall and/ or the elements attached to the wall.

If the notched means is one or more pairs of notches adapted to engage a notched head, the notches are mounted on resilient bases which are preferable S-shaped to provide a miximum amount of resiliency. The notched counterpart means may be a nail or screw mounted in the wall which has a normal head or preferably a notched head for maximum engagement. The notched head may be made by adding conical discs thereon, by adding shaped or stamped elements thereto or by molding them as part of the nail. The said counterpart means may be mounted in the wall per se or on wooden strips or angles under difficult conditions which serve as a direct or indirect support. In addition, the notched counterpart means may be a U-shaped bracket with notches on the tongues.

When the notched counterpart means is a U-shaped bracket with claw-like ends, the notched means may be a resilient or rigid bar on the baseboard having notches to engage the claw-like ends of the bracket or may be two resilient parallel tongues with notches on their outer sides which engage the said claw-like ends.

If the notching system consists of notching means and counter notching means which are vertically engaged, the system is held together by an upward pressure from the resilient floor rest. This arrangement is particularly useful for compensating for dilferences in the height of the mounting of the counterpart notching means in the wall.

The resilient element between the notched system and the floor rest exerts a horizontal pressure against the wall which tends to push the lower portion of the baseboard away from the wall and holds the wall rest firmly against the wall. The notched system acts as a pivot point for this pressure which provides continuous contact with the wall and the result is that the baseboard is held in a fixed position even though relatively large differences have to be compensated for.

The said resilient element may be attached to the wall or the baseboard but is preferably a part to the baseboard for easy manufacturing and mounting of the baseboard. The said resilient element may be of any shape such as angled as in a V-shaped element or as curved as in an arch and it is wider than the space between the wall and the inner face of the baseboard so that when the baseboard is in position, the resilient element is under stress which produces the horizontal pressure against the wall.

Referring now to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective in elevation showing a cross-sectional cut of one embodiment of the invention wherein the connection to the wall is effected with a nail having a stepwise notched head.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-section of FIG. 1 showing the notch means of the wallboard with the nail with the notched head.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of another embodiment of the invention wherein the baseboard notch means and its counterpart are engaged in a vertical direction.

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective in elevation showing a cross-sectional cut of another notch means of the baseboard in the form of a rigid bar.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section of a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 4 wherein the rigid bar is replaced by two resilient tongues.

FIG.6 is a perspective of a rigid wall clip consisting of two forwardly extending, sawtooth notched tongues.

FIG. 7 is a cross-section illustrating the notched connecting means which is engaged from below.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the baseboard 1 has an upper rounded wall rest 2 and a resilient lower rounded floor rest 3. The floor rest 3 is made resilient by corresponding reductions in the cross-section preferably on the wall side of the baseboard by longitudinal grooves 4. The notch means on the wall side of the baseboard may be resilient or rigid and FIG. 1 illustrates a resilient notch means comprised of two pairs of notches 5 carried by S-shaped resilient supports 6 which have conical or rounded insertion surfaces 7 to facilitate the insertion of the counterpart notch element. Between the notch means and the floor, V-shaped resilient element 8 is attached to the baseboard and when the baseboard is in position it exerts a horizontal pressure to press the notches of 5 firmly together and to hold wall rest 2 firmly against the wall.

The counterpart notch means is a nail 9 With a stepwisely notched head 10 which is set in the wall at a predetermined height and then the baseboard is set in position at the juncture of the wall and the floor. The baseboard is then pushed against the wall so that the notched head 10 of the nail is engaged with notches 5 which firmly holds the baseboard against the wall. Slight variations in the length of the nails 9 extending from the wall is compensated for by the multiple notch means and by the resiliency of the said means.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 3 wherein the notch means is a resilient U-shaped element 11 having a downward extension with saw-like teeth 12 and a resilient curved element 13 below element 11 which pushes against the wall to create a horizontal pressure. Right angle element 14 with saw-like teeth 15 is set in the wall with the teeth 15 adapted to engage with the teeth 12 when the wallboard is in position. The resiliency of element 11 holds the two sets of teeth together and allows tolerance for deviations in the positioning of the right angle elements 14 in the wall.

FIG. 4 shows a notching means comprised of a rigid bar 16 have grooved notches 17 which engage with the rounded or angularly cut ends of resilient claw 18 held in the wall by nail 19. The rigid bar 16 has a rounded or V-shaped leading edge 20 to facilitate the insertion of the bar between the ends of the resilient claw 18.

FIG. 5 illustrates a resilient notching means which may be used in place of the rigid bar 16 of FIG. 4 with the resilient claw 18. The said notching means consisting of two resilient tongues 21 facing each other with notches 22 on the exterior and having leading edges 23 which facilitate the engagement of the tongues with the resilient claw counterpart 18.

FIG. 6 illustrates a non-resilient notched counterpart means which may be fastened to the wall with a nail or screw and which is comprised of a U-shaped element 14 whose tongues 26 have multiple notches 26. The said counterpart means can be used in place of the nail 9 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 illustrates another notching system comprised of a straight bar 27 at right angles to baseboard 1 and having notches 28 on its upward surface which engages with notches 30 of nail 29 on its under surface.

Various modifications of the wallboard of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit or scope thereof and it is to be understood that the invention is intended to be limited only as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An extruded baseboard for mounting in the junction zone of a wall and a floor which comprises an exterior profile having a wall rest and a resilient floor rest, a resilient notched system comprised of a notched means attached to the baseboard adapted to engage a counter notch means attached to the wall wherein at least one of the notch means is resilient and at least one of the notch means has a plurality of notches and a resilient member attached to the baseboard between the notched system and the floor rest which extends beyond the leading edge of the wall rest and exerts a horizontal pressure against the wall whereby the wall rest is held firmly to the wall.

2. The baseboard of claim 1 wherein the resilient member is V-shaped.

3. The baseboard of claim 1 wherein the resilient member is a curved member.

4. An extruded baseboard for mounting in the junction zone of a wall and a floor which comprises an exterior profile having a wall rest and a resilient floor rest to compensate for changes in the floor level, a resilient notched system comprised of a multiple notch means adapted to receive a counter notch means attached to the wall and a resilient member attached to the baseboard between the notched system and the floor rest which extends beyond the leading edge of the wall rest and exerts a horizontal pressure against the wall whereby the wall rest is held firmly against the wall.

5. The baseboard of claim 4 wherein the counter notch means is a nail.

6. The baseboard of claim 4 wherein the counter notch means is a nail with a notched head.

7. The baseboard of claim 4 wherein the counter notch means is comprised of a U-shaped bracket whose protruding tongues are notched.

8. An extruded baseboard for mounting in the junction area of a wall and a floor which comprises an exterior profile having a wall rest and a resilient floor rest to compensate for changes in the floor level, a resilient notchedsystem comprised of a rigid bar having a plurality of notched grooves adapted to engage a resilient U-shaped bracket with claw-like ends and a resilient member between the notched system and the floor rest which extends beyond the leading edge of the wall rest and exerts a horizontal pressure against the wall whereby the Wall rest is held firmly against the wall.

9. An extruded baseboard for mounting in the junction zone of a wall and a floor which comprises an exterior profile having a wall rest and a resilient floor rest to compensate for changes in the floor level, a resilient notched system comprised of two resilient tongues extending from the baseboard which are notched on the outer side and whose leading edges are sloped inward adapted to engage with a U-shaped bracket with clawlike ends and a resilient member between the notched system and the floor rest which extends beyond the lead ing edge of the Wall rest and exerts a horizontal pressure against the wall whereby the wall rest is held firmly against the wall.

10. An extruded baseboard for mounting in the junction zone of a Wall and a floor which comprises an exterior profile having a wall rest and a resilient floor rest to compensate for changes in the floor level, a resilient notched system comprised of a resilient tongue extending from the baseboard which has angular notches on its upper side adapted to engage with the angular notches of a tongue attached to the wall and a resilient member between the notched system and the floor rest which extends beyond the leading edge of the wall rest and 6 exerts a horizontal pressure against the wall whereby the wall rest is held firmly against the wall.

11. An extruded baseboard for mounting in the junction zone of a wall and a floor which comprises an exterior profile having a wall rest and a resilient floor rest to commnsate for changes in floor level, a resilient notched system comprised of a curved downwardly extending resilient element with angular notches adapted to vertically engage with the angular notches of an angle bar attached to the wall and a resilient member between the resilient notched system and the floor rest which extends beyond the leading edge of the wall rest and exerts a horizontal pressure against the wall whereby the wall rest is held firmly against the wall.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1958 Dufiield 52-716 8/1965 Grun 52287 FOREIGN PATENTS 10/1955 France.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

I. L. RIDGILL, Assistant Examiner. 

4. AN EXTRUDED BASEBOARD FOR MOUNTING IN THE JUNCTION ZONE OF A WALL AN FLOOR WHICH COMPRISES AN EXTERIOR PROFILE HAVING A WALL REST AND A RESILIENT FLOOR REST TO COMPENSATE FOR CHANGES IN THE FLOOR LEVEL, A RESILIENT NOTCHED SYSTEM COMPRISED OF A MULTIPLE NOTCH MEANS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A COUNTER NOTCH MEANS ATTACHED TO THE WALL AND A RESILIENT MEMBER ATTACHED TO THE BASEBOARD BETWEEN THE NOTCHED SYSTEM AND THE FLOOR REST WHICH EXTENDS BEYOND THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WALL REST AND EXERTS A HORIZONTAL PRESSURE AGAINST THE WALL WHEREBY THE WALL REST IS HELD FIRMLY AGAINST THE WALL. 